Multiple-rate meter.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

A. J. R. PIEGO. MULTIPLE RATE METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1903.

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No. 755,757. PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

A. J. R. PIEGO. MULTIPLE RATE METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1903'.

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MULTIPLE RATE METER. urmonron FILED JULY 21. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFIC ALEXANDER J. R. FIEGO, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOGENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MULTIPLE-RATE METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,757, dated March29, 1904. Application filed July 21, 1903. serial No. 166,1I31. (Nomodel.)

To aZlw/wm, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER J. R. Frneo, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lynn,

county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have periods of light load, soas to keep the load on the station more nearly uniform.

The invention relates more particularly to the type of multirate metershown in the patent to Cox and Holmes, No. 679,472, wherein there aretwo recording-dials and two clutches and clock-controlled mechanismoperating the clutches to connect the dials to the meter-shaftalternately. In such a construction the load a on the clock is the loadof operating the entire clutch mechanism. This requires a clock that isvery large and expensive, and the liability of inaccuracy and breakageis greatly increased. To avoid the employment of such a clock,I haveprovided an electromagnetic device of peculiar construction to operatethe clutches or other rate-changing devices instead of theclock-operated mechanism shown in the above-men tioned patent. I use aclock with the device; but the function of the clock is merely to closea circuit through the magnets, and to do this the contacts can be soarranged that the power required for this purpose is inappreciable. Withmy device it is also possible to use a control-circuit running to theelectromagnetic devices in any number of meters and have a sin.

gle clock complete this circuit, and thus operate the clutches in all ofthe meters to change the recording from one dial to another or vary therate of recording on the same dial.

The features of novelty in the construction and operation of my improvedmultirate meter will be set forth more fully hereinafter and will bedefinitely indicated in the appended claims.

. In the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate one embodiment of myinvention, Figure 1' shows a wattmeter with the casing broken away inpart to show the two dials and the electromagnetic device for changingthe recording from one dial to the other. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe electromagnetic devices and the recording mechanism. Fig. 3 is a topplan of the same. Fig. 4 is a back view of the electromagnetic device,and Fig. 5 is a diagram of the circuits.

In Fig. l, 1 indicates a wattmeter of ordinary construction, the oneshown in the drawings being the well-known Thomsonrecordingwattmeter,having a pair of field-coils 2 and an armature 3 andcommutator L, carried by 1 the spindle 5, on which is mounted a worm 6.

In mesh with worm 6 is a worm-wheel 7, mounted on a shaft 8, whichcommunicates motion to a train of gears driving two loose wheels 9 9,turning, respectively, on shafts 10 10 in gear with two recording-dials11 11. Splined on the shafts 1O 10 aresleeves 1212, thrust forward in adirection to engage the loose/wheels 9 9 by coil-springs 13 13. Theclutching-face of the sleeves 12 12 may be covered with leather or othersuitable gripping material, as indicated at 1 1 14c, to establish a goodfrictional relation between the clutchdisk and the loose wheels when thetwo are in engagement. The clutching relation is established by thelever 15, controlled by an electromagnetic device. The arms of thislever extend into grooves in the clutch sleeves, shifting themalternately in and out of clutching relation to the cooperatinggear-wheels. As shown in Fig. 3, the clutch-piece 12 has been releasedby the lever and thrust by spring 13 into engagement with the loosewheel 9, thereby connecting the shaft 10 and the dialtrain 11 with thepower-shaft 8. The clutchpiece 12 has been forced by the-other arm ofthe lever 15 against the tension of the spring 13 to a position in whichthe clutching-face is entirely out of contact with the loose wheel 9'.The wheel 9 is therefore free to turn on its shaft, and the counter 11not only does not register, but is locked against any movement whateverby the pressure of the arm of lever 15 against the sleeve 12. Thedial-train 11 records, however, and there is no frictional resistance toits movement except the friction of the train of gears, for. when thearm releases clutch-piece 12 it moves entirely out of contact therewith,as shown in Fig. 3. The lever 15 is rigidly secured to a post 16,pivotally mounted in a frame 17, fastened to the back of the boxcontaining the dial-trains. The lever 15 and the clutches 12 and 12 areshifted by an arm 18, rigidly secured to the pivoted post 16 near itsupper end and extending backward therefrom.

The mechanism for rocking the arm 18 about its pivot, and therebyoperating the clutches, consists of four electromagnets 19, 20, 21, and22, mounted vertically on a platform 23, secured to the frame 24 of themeter. The magnet-spools are arranged about a pivoted post 25, on whichis rigidly mounted above the magnet-spools a plate 26, having twobifurcated arms, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. This plate 26constitutes the armature of the magnets, and its shape is such withrespect to the cores of the magnet-spools that when magnets 20 and 22are energized the armature and the post 25 are rocked through a smallare, bringing two of the fingers of the armature directly over the coresof the magnets, and when those magnets are deenergized and the coils ofmagnets 19 and 21 connected in circuit the armature 26 is rocked back tothe position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Rigidly mounted on the post 25above the armature 26 is a cam-plate 27, preferably of brass, havingcurved ends, the radius of curvature being shorter for a portion of thelength of the curved ends than for the balance, as shown in Fig. 3. Thiscam-plate being secured to the post 25 is rocked back and forth with thearmature 26. On the upper side of the cam 27 is a stud 28. The inner endof the arm 18 is slotted, as shown in Fig. 3, and the stud 28 fitswithin this slot, so that as the magnets rock the armature 26 and cam.27on the pivoted post 25 the stud 28 moves the free end of arm 18 fromside to side, thus turning the pivoted post 16 and the lever 15, securedthereto, and operating the clutches, as above described.

Pivotally mounted in the upper part of the frame of the electromagneticdevice are two short shafts 29 29, on each of which is rigidly mountedan arm 30 30. A roller 31 31, preferably of brass, is mounted in each ofthe arms 3030' and is adapted to bear on one of the curved ends of thecam 27, the rollers being held against the cam by springs 32 32, coiledaround the short shafts 29 29 and each having its ends secured one tothe frame and the other to the arm. The arms 30 30' carry fiber blocks3333 in their free ends, the outer surfaces of which are tipped withsilver strips, as indicated at 34 34. Mounted on each side of the frameis a pair of spring-contacts 35 35, and 36 36, each pair in cooperativerelation to one of the silver tips 34 34 and arranged to be bridgedthereby when arm 30 or 30, carrying the silver tip, is thrown to theouter position by a movement of the cam 27.

The electrical connections to the magnetic operating device are showndiagrammatically in Fig. 5, in which 37 is a source of electric energyand 38 a conducting-segment driven intermittently by clock mechanism tomake one revolution in twenty-four hours. The contacts 39 39 and 40 40are arranged in cooperative relation to the segment 38 and adjustablearound its path of movement. The clock mechanism may be self-winding andwith the contacts may be within the metercasing, and the source ofenergy 37 may be the supply-wires, or the mechanism may be located atany desired point distant from the meter, and the control-wire leadingthereto may run to any number of meters. The coils of the magnets 19 and21 are connected in series by the wire41 and the coils of magnets 20 and22 by wire 42. The contacts 39 39' and 40 40 are adjusted so that eachpair will be bridged by the segment 38 at the time when the change ofrate is to be made. When the segment 38 has been turned by the timemovement so that it bridges contacts 40 and 40, which may be in theevening, when the load on the central station has becomelight and it isdesired to supply electric energy at a lower rate, a circuit is closedfrom battery 37 across contacts 40 and 40 by segment 38 to contact 35.As the bridging-strip 34, carried by the fiber block 33 on arm 30, isheld in the outer position by the roller 31 of arm 30, being on theportion of the end of cam 27 having the greater radius of curvature, abridging connection is made by strip 34 from contact 35 to contact 35,and the circuit is completed through the coils of magnet 22. then bywire 42 to the coils of magnet 20, and back to battery 37. Magnets 20and 22 being thus energized attract armature 26, turning it and cam 27,both of which are secured to the pivoted post 25. By this movement theposition of stud 28, carried by cam 27, is shifted, carrying with it thefree end of arm 18, thereby operating the lever 15 to release one of theclutches and press the other back against the tension of its spring, asabove described. When the cam 27 has been shifted nearly to the end ofits range of movement, the roller 31 rides on the portion of the end ofcam 27 having the smaller radius, the roller being held against the camby the spring 32. This carries the silver strip 34 away from contacts 3535, breaking the connection between them. At the other end of the cam 27a reverse movement occurs, the strip 34 being brought into bridgingconnection with the contacts 36 36; but all circuits from the battery 37are open, that through magnets 20 and 22 at contacts 35 35 and thecircuit through magnets 19 and 21 at contacts 39 39. This relation iscontinued until the period of heavy 3 portions of different radii.

The gearing between the shaft 8 and shafts 1O 10 may be such that thelatter turn at different rates with respect to the former, in which casethe same amount could be charged per unit for the units shown on the twodials, or the gearing could be such that the shafts 1O 10 turn at thesame rate with respect to shaft 8, in which case different rates for theunits shown on the two dials would be established.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the sole duty of theclock is to close a circuit through one of the pairs of electromagnetstwice in twenty-four hours, and for this purpose very little power isrequired of the clock, which may therefore be small, compact, andinexpensive.

I have illustrated and described herein the embodiment of my inventionwhich I prefer to use; but I do not wish to be understood as limited inany way to what is shown, as many modifications may be made thereinWithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. A multirate meter comprising a metermotor, two dialtrains, aplurality of electromagnets, a clock, means whereby'the clock closescircuit to the electromagnets at determinate hours, means actuated bythe magnets for alternately connecting the dial-trains with themeter-motor, and means for preventing the rotation of either train whendisconnected from the motor;

2. A multirate meter comprising two counters, a meter-motor, clutches onthe drivingshaft of the counters impelled toward engaging relation tothe motor, a plurality of electromagnets, and a shifting device actuatedthereby engaging either clutch when disengaged from the motor butdisengaged when connected with the motor.

3. Amultirate meter comprising a plurality of dial-trains, a clutch on ashaft of each train in driving relation thereto, a plurality ofelectromagnets and means actuated thereby for operating the clutches, acam moved by the magnets in operating the clutches, an arm carrying acontact bearing on the cam, and astationary contact cooperatingtherewith, said contacts being arranged to open the circuit of themagnets. after they have operated the clutches.

4:. In a multirate meter, an electromagnetic device for changing themanner of recording, comprising electromagnets, a pivoted armaturerocked thereby, a cam-surface moving with the armature, and contactsgoverned by the cam-surface controlling the circuit of saidelectromagnets.

5. In a multirate meter, an electromagnetic device for changing themanner of recording comprising an electromagnet, a cam shifted thereby,an arm bearing on the cam-surface, and means whereby the movement of thearm when the cam is shifted opens the circuit ofthe magnet.

6. In a multirate meter, an electromagnetic device for changing themanner of recording comprising an electromagnet, a pivoted cam shiftedthereby, a pivoted arm carrying a con tact, a spring pressing the armagainst the cam-surface, and means whereby the movement of the arm whenthe cam is shifted opens the circuit of the magnet.

7. In amultirate meter, an electromagnetic device for changing themanner of recording comprising two electromagnets, a pivoted cam rockedthereby, arms carrying contacts bearing on said cam, and means wherebythe movement of the arms when the cam is shifted opens the circuit ofthe magnet which caused the movement and closes a connection to theother magnet.

8. A multirate meter comprising a metermotor, a plurality ofdial-trains, clutching mechanism, a plurality of electromagnets andmeans actuated thereby for operating the clutching mechanism to connectthe dials alternately with the meter-motor, a cam rocked by the magnetsin operating the clutching mechanism, and means whereby the movement ofsaid cam opens the circuit of the magnets which caused the movement andcloses a connection to the other magnets.

9. In a multirate meter, an electromagnetic device for changing themanner of recording comprising an electromagnet, a cam shifted thereby,an arm bearing on the cam-surface, means whereby the movement ofthearmwhen the cam is shifted opens the circuit of the magnet which caused themovement, and means for holding the cam in the position to which it isshifted.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set-my hand this 16th day of July,1908.

ALEXANDER J. R. FIEGO.

Witnesses:

DUGALD McK. McKILLOP, CHATTIN BRADWAY.

